PACAP was first isolated from the hypothalami of sheep as a peptide promoting adenylate cyclase activity of the pituitary glands Biochemical Biophysical Research Communications, 164, 567-574 (1989)!. PACAP first isolated was one consisting of 38 amino acid residues. However, the presence of PACAP consisting of 27 residues on the N-terminal side was also revealed. Both are nearly equal in adenylate cyclase activating ability to each other. The former is referred to as PACAP38, and the latter is referred to as PACAP27. The expression of a PACAP having the same structure as that of sheep was also proved in humans, which suggested that PACAPs are important peptides conserved beyond species Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 166, 81-89 (1990)!. For the distribution thereof in organs, they are observed not only in the brain hypothalami, but also in the pituitary glands, the testes and the adrenals (Endocrinology, 129, 2787-2789). At present, PACAPs such as PACAP27 to PACAP38 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,242) and PACAP23 to PACAP26 (European Patent Publication No. 0467279A3) have been reported.
Physiological actions of PACAPs diversely varies according to their occurrence sites. Various actions of the PACAPs as described below have hitherto been reported:
(1) Promotion of cAMP production in primary culture cells of the rat pituitary glands A. Miyata et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 164, 567-574 (1989)!; PA1 (2) Promotion of secretion of GH, ACTH, PRL and LH in the rat pituitary gland superfusion process A. Miyata et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 164, 567-574 (1989)!; PA1 (3) Production of cAMP in adrenomedullary chromaffinoma-derived cells PC12h and promotion of neurite outgrowth T. Watanabe et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 173, 252-258 (1990), and K. Okazaki et al., FEBS Letters, 298, 49-56 (1992)!; PA1 (4) Promotion of interleukin-6 production in pituitary gland culture cells I. Tatsuno et al., Endocrinology, 129, 1797-1804 (1991)!; and PA1 (5) Promotion of cAMP production in primary culture of rat astrocytes and promotion of action preventing nerve cell death Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 168, 1027-1033 (1990)!. PA1 (1) A receptor protein capable of binding a PACAP or a salt thereof; PA1 (2) The receptor protein of (1), wherein the receptor is endogenous to rat, bovine or human; PA1 (3) The receptor protein of (1) which comprises an amino acid sequence containing at least one member selected from the group consisting of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6, SEQ ID NO: 7, SEQ ID NO: 8, SEQ ID NO: 9, SEQ ID NO: 10, SEQ ID NO: 11 and SEQ ID NO: 12 or a salt thereof; PA1 (4) The receptor protein of (1) which comprises an amino acid sequence containing the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 13 or a salt thereof; PA1 (5) The receptor protein of (1) which comprises an amino acid sequence having 90 to 100% homology as determined by sequence analysis with at least one member selected from the group consisting of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO: 14, SEQ ID NO: 16, SEQ ID NO: 18, SEQ ID NO: 20, SEQ ID NO: 22, SEQ ID NO: 24, SEQ ID NO: 26 and SEQ ID NO: 28 or a salt thereof; PA1 (6) The receptor protein of (1) which comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO: 14, SEQ ID NO: 15, SEQ ID NO: 16, SEQ ID NO: 17, SEQ ID NO: 18, SEQ ID NO: 19, SEQ ID NO: 20, SEQ ID NO: 21, SEQ ID NO: 22, SEQ ID NO: 23, SEQ ID NO: 24, SEQ ID NO: 25, SEQ ID NO: 26, SEQ ID NO: 27, SEQ ID NO: 28 and SEQ ID NO: 29 or a salt thereof; PA1 (7) A receptor fragment containing a sufficient portion of the receptor of (1) to bind PACAP or a salt thereof; PA1 (8) The receptor fragment of (7) selected from the group consisting of PA1 (9) An isolated DNA coding for a receptor protein capable of binding a PACAP; PA1 (10) The DNA of (9) wherein the receptor protein comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 14, SEQ ID NO 15, SEQ ID NO: 16, SEQ ID NO: 17, SEQ ID NO 18, SEQ ID NO: 19, SEQ ID NO 20, SEQ ID NO: 21, SEQ ID NO 22, SEQ ID NO: 23, SEQ ID NO: 24, SEQ ID NO 25, SEQ ID NO: 26, SEQ ID NO 27, SEQ ID NO: 28 or SEQ ID NO 29; PA1 (11) The DNA of (9) comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 30, SEQ ID NO: 31, SEQ ID NO 32, PA1 (13) A vector containing the DNA of (9); PA1 (14) A transformant containing the DNA of (9); PA1 (15) A method for preparing the receptor protein or the salt thereof of (1) comprising cultivating a transformant containing a DNA encoding said protein under conditions suitable for expression of said protein and recovering said protein; PA1 (16) A method for purifying the receptor protein or the salt thereof of (1) comprising subjecting a sample containing unpurified receptor protein to affinity chromatography using a biotinylated PACAP; PA1 (17) The method of (16) comprising the steps of: PA1 (18) The method of (17), in which the animal tissue is a bovine cerebrum; PA1 (19) A method for preparing the receptor protein or the salt thereof of (1) comprising condensing a partial peptide fragment or a single amino acid corresponding to a portion of the protein as claimed in claim 1 with a residual moiety, and removing a protective group as so desired when the product has the protective group, until said protein is obtained; PA1 (20) A diagnostic composition for neuropathy comprising the PACAP receptor protein or the salt thereof of (1), or the receptor fragment or the salt thereof of (7); PA1 (21) The diagnostic composition of (20) which is a diagnostic composition for Alzheimer's disease; PA1 (22) A gene therapeutic composition comprising the DNA of (9); PA1 (23) The gene therapeutic composition of (22) to be administered to a patient whose an amount of PACAP receptor protein is decreased, to increase the amount of PACAP receptor protein; PA1 (24) A method of diagnosis for neuropathy comprising contacting a sample to be tested with a receptor protein capable of binding a PACAP protein and measuring the amount of PACAP binding to the receptor protein; PA1 (25) The method of diagnosis of (24), wherein the receptor protein is a receptor fragment of (7); PA1 (26) The method of (24) wherein a decrease in PACAP concentration is an indication of the presence of Alzheimer's disease; PA1 (27) A method of using the DNA of (9) to transform a cell; PA1 (28) The method of (27) wherein the cell is transformed in vitro; PA1 (29) The method of (27) wherein the cell is transformed in vivo; PA1 (30) The method of (27), in which the expression of the DNA increases the amount of PACAP receptor protein; PA1 (31) A method for determining PA1 (32) The method of (31) wherein the PACAP receptor is a protein of (1); PA1 (33) The method of (31) wherein the PACAP receptor is a receptor fragment of (7); PA1 (34) The method of (31) wherein the PACAP receptor is a protein produced by cultivating a transformant containing the DNA of (9); PA1 (35) The method of (31) which is a method for screening a compound activating PACAP receptor or a compound antagonizing binding of a PACAP to a PACAP receptor; PA1 (36) An assay for quantifying a test compound's effect PA1 (37) A compound or a salt thereof obtained by the method of (31); PA1 (38) The compound or a salt thereof of (37) which is a compound activating PACAP receptor or a compound antagonizing binding of a PACAP to a PACAP receptor; PA1 (39) A pharmaceutical composition for neuropathy comprising an effective amount of the compound or the salt thereof of (37); PA1 (40) The pharmaceutical composition of (39), wherein the neuropathy is Alzheimer's disease; PA1 (41) An antibody to a receptor protein capable of binding a PACAP, a partial peptide thereof or a salt thereof; PA1 (42) The antibody of (41) which is a monoclonal antibody selected from the group consisting of PRN1-25a, PRN1-109a and PRN1-159a; PA1 (43) Hybridoma which produces a monoclonal antibody of (42); PA1 (44) A signal peptide selected from the group of peptides consisting of a peptide which has 1st to 37th amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:15, a peptide which has 1st to 37th amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:17, a peptide which has 1st to 19th amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:19, a peptide which has 1st to 19th amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:21, a peptide which has 1st to 77th amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:23, a peptide which has 1st to 77th amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:25, a peptide which has 1st to 77th amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:27, a peptide which has 1st to 77th amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:29, a peptide which has 58th to 77th amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:23, a peptide which has 58th to 77th amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:25, a peptide which has 58th to 77th amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:27 and a peptide which has 58th to 77th amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:29; or a salt thereof; PA1 (45) A DNA which codes for a peptide of (44); PA1 (46) A DNA of (45) which is selected from the group consisting of a DNA which has 1st to 111th nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:30, a DNA which has 1st to 111th nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:31, a DNA which has 1st to 57th nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:32, a DNA which has 1st to 57th nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:33, a DNA which has 1st to 231st nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:34, a DNA which has 1st to 231st nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:35, a DNA which has 1st to 231st nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:36, a DNA which has 1st to 231st nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:37, a DNA which has 172nd to 231st nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:34, a DNA which has 172nd to 231st nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:35, a DNA which has 172nd to 231st nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:36 and a DNA which has 172nd to 231st nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:37; PA1 (47) A biotinylated PACAP; PA1 (48) The biotinylated PACAP of (47) which is represented by the following formula: ##STR2## (49) The biotinylated PACAP of (47) or (48), in which the PACAP is PACAP27; and PA1 (50) A method for preparing the biotinylated PACAP of (47) comprising reacting a PACAP derivative in which a cysteine residue is introduced into the carboxyl terminus of a PACAP with a biotinylating reagent.
In order for PACAP to exhibit its action, the presence of a receptor specific for PACAP in target organs and cells is indispensable.
Receptor binding experiments using radioactive iodine-labeled PACAP27 ((.sup.125 I! PACAP27) have proved the presence of a PACAP receptor. Namely, when a membrane fraction prepared from a tissue is mixed with .sup.125 I! PACAP27 and reacted for an appropriate period of time, binding of .sup.125 I! PACAP27 to the membrane fraction is observed. This binding is inhibited by unlabeled PACAP27 or PACAP38, but not inhibited by VIP, an analogous peptide of the PACAPs. This result suggests that a substance specifically binding to the PACAPs occurs in the tissue. Such binding activity is highest in membrane fractions of the brain hypothalamic and also observed in the pituitary glands, the adrenals and the like Endocrinology, 127, 272-277 (1990)!. Further, a body of PACAP binding activity observed in membrana cerebri fractions, namely a receptor, is deduced to be a protein having a molecular weight of 57,000 from a technique (so-called affinity-label experiment) comprising binding .sup.125 I! PACAP27 to the membrana cerebri fraction, crosslinking .sup.125 I! PACAP27 and the body of its binding activity with a crosslinking reagent, then subjecting the product to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate, and analyzing by autoradiography Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 171, 838-844 (1990)!.
It is expected that clarification of some fundamental properties of this specific receptor allows elucidation of additional various properties of the PACAP receptor to proceed more than before. In particular, cloning of cDNA coding for the receptor protein and structure analysis thereof enable elucidation of the mechanism of its mutual interaction with a ligand, production of receptor-agonists and antagonists and detailed analysis of sites of action by in situ hybridization using said cDNA. Although cloning of the VIP, secretin and growth hormone releasing factor receptor proteins cDNA has been reported, the cloning of the PACAP receptor has not. These three kinds of bioactive peptides have also showed a capital similarity in the structures of their receptor proteins. For the PACAP receptors, however, cloning of cDNA has hitherto not been carried out.
Recently, the following five documents reported amino acid sequences for a rat PACAP receptor protein and nucleotide sequences of DNAs coding for the protein Document 1: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 194, 1, pp.133-143, 1993; Document 2: Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS), 329, 1 and 2, pp. 99-105; Document 3: Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, U.S.A., 90, pp. 6345-6349, 1993; Document 4: Nature, 365, pp. 170-175, 1993 and Document 5: Neuron, 11, pp.333-342, 1993). Among them, the amino acid sequences and the nucleotide sequences described in the Documents 1, 2, 4 and 5 are identified with the amino acid sequence for a rat PACAP receptor protein and with the nucleotide sequence for a DNA coding for the protein. The amino acid sequence described in Document 3 is different from the amino acid sequence of the present invention for a rat PACAP receptor protein in one amino acid, and the nucleotide sequence of Document 3 is also different from the nucleotide sequence of the present invention in one nucleotide. All of the five documents were published after Jun. 24, 1993 which is one of the priority dates of the present invention.
In general, when specific binding substances such as receptors are purified, affinity column chromatography applying its mutual interaction with the specific binding substance (for example, ligands for receptors) are frequently used. A process using an affinity column in which a ligand is fixed on a carrier is simplest. However, many successful examples of complicated affinity chromatography are known in which the specific mutual interaction between avidin and biotin is utilized for purification of receptors. This process comprises synthesizing a biotinylated ligand in which biotin is bound to an appropriate site, and specifically capturing a receptor on a carrier on which avidin is fixed through the biotinylated ligand Methods in Enzymology, 184, 244-274 (1990)!. This process suffers from the problem of designing the biotinylated ligand having affinity for both the receptor and avidin, and examination is required in purifying PACAP receptor.
PACAP38 and PACAP27 are peptides represented by the following amino acid sequences, respectively: ##STR1##